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Peace

Several years ago I was very worried about the repercussions of a decision I’d made. The fear was unusually intense, so I sat in meditation to find some inner calm. Once the crazy thoughts abated, and I was able to relax into my breath, I ‘saw’ my nervous system as a charred, blackened, frazzled mess. I understood clearly that every time my thoughts dove into that pool of fear, my nervous system was adversely impacted. I imagined how my entire body must react to decades of negative, fearful thinking and beliefs. Why would I put my precious body through that? I recalled a previous meditation from years before in which it was made clear to me that the human body can absolutely take on and process a lot of the pressure and stress that we inflict upon it, but it is very much designed to be enhanced by joy. The body is like a house. If we don’t lovingly keep up the maintenance, it may become uninhabitable.

ESSENTIAL OILS to support peace and calming:

– Bergamot
– Wild Orange
– Lavender

CONTACT ME for a COMPLIMENTARY, 50-minute InSight Coaching session*, which includes recommendations for essential oils that can support your process. PLUS – Enter my weekly drawing for a FREE essential oil! The winner of the free oil is announced every Friday.

“This perfect Universe” is each and every one of us. Beyond all the BS that clutters our hearts and minds lies an enormous reservoir of positivity, kindness, wealth, compassion, understanding, generosity, and overall well being. May we all know that we can tap into that perfection, purpose, and power at all times. Yes, we are that. Have a beautiful and blessed day! What else is there?

Essential oils to uplift the spirit, and assist in meditation/mindfulness practice:

– Arborvitae
– Frankincense
– Sandalwood

CONTACT ME for a COMPLIMENTARY, 50-minute InSight Coaching session*, which includes recommendations for essential oils that can support your process. PLUS – Enter my weekly drawing for a FREE essential oil! The winner of the free oil is announced every Friday.

What are you doing today to increase the peace in your heart and mind?

Are you aware that angry, resentful, jealous, violent thoughts reinforce an illusion that has been in place on the planet for generations?

What will you do every day to shift that, to break the mold, to free yourself (and through your efforts help to free future generations) from the matrix of fear (which is the root of anger, lack, jealousy, etc). What are you waiting for?

– Combine one drop of Peppermint and one drop of Lemon oil in a diffuser.
– Combine one drop of Rosemary, one drop of Basil, two drops of Frankincense, and three drops of Wild Orange in a diffuser.

CONTACT ME for a COMPLIMENTARY, 50-minute InSight Coaching session*, which includes recommendations for essential oils that can support your process. PLUS – Enter my weekly drawing for a FREE essential oil! The winner of the free oil is announced every Friday.

Sometimes I ask myself, “Why the hell are you getting so freakin worked up over that?” By ‘that’ I mean news stories about the words and actions of political leaders, and government policy that they may be advocating, or that is currently on the books. My mind just pulls me down the rabbit hole of judgement, intolerance, and polarization. Not always pretty, but perfect in it’s own way.

Once I get a grip on reality, the questions that often come are: “What are you going to do about what you are witnessing? When will you take action?”

And then it all morphs into “Be your own leader, politician, and advocate. Live by your own rules. Be kind. Let your own, inner light show you the way.”

I posted this quote from Byron Katie on Facebook the other day as a reminder to myself about what is possible:

“I’ve heard people say that they cling to their painful thoughts because they’re afraid that without them they wouldn’t be activists for peace. “If I felt completely peaceful,” they say, “why would I bother taking action at all?” My answer is, “Because that’s what love does.” To think that we need sadness or outrage to motivate us to do what’s right is insane. As if the clearer and happier you get, the less kind you become. As if when someone finds freedom, she just sits around all day with drool running down her chin. My experience is the opposite. Love is action. It’s clear, it’s kind, it’s effortless, and it’s irresistible.”

Fear. I know it well. I think I have several Masters degrees in it. It comes and goes. Sometimes it lingers longer than I’d like, but it is always a temporary visitor.

Over the years I’ve noticed that my thoughts about things such as moving to a new place, money, changing jobs, walking on the edge of a cliff (literally), speaking up, or starting or ending a relationship have triggered fear. Those moments and situations were never fun, but they certainly taught me a lot about living.

On a recent flight to New York I was lost in my book reading when the plane experienced turbulence. The woman next to me gasped, and clutched the arm rest. I turned to her and smiled, and we both laughed. Spell broken – for a moment. As I turned back to my book, my mind started feeding me all sorts of fear-inducing, plane crash scenarios. I sat there amazed at what my imagination was churning out. As I noticed that amazement, I realized that my fear had been replaced by amusement. Good catch!

Here are some words that came to me after a meditation on fear last month:

“When you take a leap into the well of fear, you may notice that things do not feel very good there. When you retreat into that darkness, things may seem overwhelming and impossible. You may become ‘paralyzed’ and find that you are moving AWAY from your dreams instead of INTO them.

What price do you pay when fear takes hold? Notice what happens on the physical level – perhaps constriction of muscle, a tightness in your chest, shallow breathing, or cold sweat.

When you are lost in fear, what emotions creep in? Where do your thoughts go? Contrast that to the physical, mental, and emotional repercussions when you are happy, and full of excitement.

When you can identify your fears and embrace them with love and compassion, then you will find that the time you spend visiting them DECREASES and the time you spend in excitement, joyful curiosity, wonder, and PURE LOVE INCREASES.

Which would you prefer?”

ESSENTIAL OIL recommendations for helping to deal with fearful/anxious feelings:

Are you feeling a call to take a stand for what you believe in, to speak out, to be a more vocal and action-oriented participant in what I call the ‘Evolution Revolution’? Are you ready to RISE UP?

Holy crap! I know I am! And I thankfully don’t have to know what form that showing up and rising up will take – ever.

Perhaps we can BE aware that in every moment we have an opportunity to do good, to lend a hand, to smile, to listen, to be still, be silent, speak up, speak out, sit down, or stand up.

Perhaps we can take a moment or more each day to listen to what is being asked of us. What is that true voice inviting you to do? Who is it inviting you to BE now, and now, and now, and now?

These are exciting times! BE involved. BE open to letting your clearest, kindest, most powerful self take you to great heights – or maybe to the depths that will show you more of what you are made of. Ah! Maybe…

A mentor of mine used to talk about ‘the hungry ghosts of the past’, thoughts and beliefs that take up residence in our mind, and wreak havoc on our well-being. We might find those ghosts rattling the chains of blame, mistrust, and arrogance, all while tempting our ego to cling ever tighter to the ties that bind (and blind).

Those hungry ghosts could very well lead us down the path of addiction (and let’s remember that feeding the ghost is an addiction that many of us suffer from). They could be the seed of physical disease and deterioration. They could be the root cause of depression. They could also be the vehicle through which our greatest transformation and liberation occur.

Pema Chodron offers this advice in her book Taking the Leap:
“Then the next time you lose heart and you can’t bear to experience what you are feeling, you might recall this instruction: change the way you see it and lean in. That’s basically the instruction that Dzigar Kongtrül gave me. And now I pass it on to you. Instead of blaming our discomfort on outer circumstances or on our own weakness, we can choose to stay present and awake to our experience, not rejecting it, not grasping it, not buying the stories that we relentlessly tell ourselves. This is priceless advice that addresses the true cause of suffering – yours, mine, and that of all living beings.”

ESSENTIAL OILS to support your forward momentum:

– Black Pepper (Can help uncover hidden truths or face patterns or habits with courage.)
– Juniper Berry (Helps us do the deep work of spiritual healing, especially from trauma or pain we’re afraid to look at, or beliefs we don’t want to examine because we fear they might be true, such as “I’m unlovable”)
– Marjoram (May help you to feel safe sharing your heart with others.)

ASK ME how to get high-quality essential oils – and – for a sample of the oils mentioned above.

Have you ever felt lonely, depressed, insecure, pained by thoughts of the future, jealous, hopeless, angry, or any number of emotions that stem from that entity we call FEAR? Yup, me, too.

For many years I had a difficult time embracing where I came from, and who I was. A reality full of the states of mind listed above was pretty much where I resided. Thankfully that world began to crumble when I allowed myself to very honestly answer the question posed to me by my mentor, “What do you want?”

All of my responses led me back to two concepts: Peace and Freedom.

I’ve spent over two decades deconstructing beliefs about myself in order to swim more frequently in the divine waters of Peace and Freedom. I’ve tripped over myself countless times along the way, and may do that until my last breath. The thrill of the journey keeps me going. What golden nugget will I uncover next? What garbage is cluttering my heart, distorting my vision, and keeping me from seeing the endless beauty the world offers? Family, friends, lovers, traffic, political acrobatics, the bark of a dog, a heat wave, silence… Anything and everything could trigger a tantrum or pity party, and lead me back to a clear and calm mind. And so I welcome those uncomfortable moments, and even allow myself to get lost in them, until Truth leads me home.

Three kind questions that have helped me along the way are: 1) What am I thinking? 2) What am I believing? 3) What do I want?

As I pause, tune into the rhythm of my breath, and let the answers reveal themselves, I sink back into the space where Peace and Freedom prevail.

And so it is.

ESSENTIAL OILS to support you in your journey:
– Lime and Lavender to soothe disheartening thoughts (a dab of each on your heart center should help)
– Frankincense to support mental clarity and focus (just a drop in the center of your brow, or at your temples)
– Sandalwood to enhance a sense of well-being and grounding (try a bit on the bottom of your feet)

Each day I hear myself state things that I want. Chocolate. A nap. Less traffic on the freeway. Politicians who are truly focused on helping their constituents lead happier and healthier lives. The list is endless! Some things I may manifest, some things I may not.

My goal is to understand that my mind is going to chatter about it’s dreams and desires, and to know that I can pursues those dream and desires – somehow – if it feels right, or safe, or worth the invest to do so.

As my clarity grows I see that Rumi’s quote below is ever truer for me. What I am seeking is clarity, and in that clarity lies freedom from confusion, stress, and suffering.